Joachim-Friedrich Martin Josef Merz (German: [mɛɐts]; born 11 November 1955) is a German politician who has served as Leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) since January 2022 and led the CDU/CSU (Union) parliamentary group as well as been Leader of the Opposition in the Bundestag since February 2022.

3 days ago · Friedrich Merz, chancellor candidate and leader of the Christian Democrats (CDU), speaks to delegates at a CDU party congress in Berlin on February 3.

1 day ago · For weeks, Friedrich Merz appeared to be cruising towards his life-long dream of becoming Germany’s chancellor by focusing on a pro-business pitch to revive Europe’s largest economy.

6 hours ago · BERLIN — The question is not who will be Germany’s next chancellor, but rather which of his rivals he’ll govern with. So while we’re fairly sure Friedrich Merz’s conservatives will be in charge — the outcome seems almost nailed on according to the polls — that’s just where the story begins, as the design of Germany’s political system means a coalition of …

5 days ago · BERLIN — Friedrich Merz, the conservative frontrunner to become Germany’s next chancellor, suffered a major political defeat on Friday as his controversial immigration bill backed by the far right was rejected in the Bundestag, with some members of his own party refusing to support the measure.

5 days ago · EU pushes ahead with enforcing AI Act despite Trump warnings; ... Germany’s opposition leader Friedrich Merz has failed to push through a migration bill backed by the far right, capping a ...

Dec 18, 2024 · Friedrich Merz’s long and winding journey towards the German chancellery is a tale of the federal republic’s past and present. Marinated in the determinedly pro-European, pro-Western politics of Helmut Kohl’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in the 1990s, he became co-leader of its Bundestag group in 2000, before Angela Merkel elbowed him ...

Dec 30, 2024 · Friedrich Merz is likely to be the next chancellor of Germany. But the CDU leader will usher in a generational shift, moving the country away from its Europe-first approach and towards new intergovernmental alliances.

Dec 18, 2024 · Merz — who leads the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and is in pole position to become the country’s next chancellor — proposes to significantly lower income taxes, as well as cutting the corporate tax rate to a maximum of 25 percent.

Sep 17, 2024 · Friedrich Merz, the head of Germany's Christian Democrats, and Markus Soeder, the head of their Bavarian sister party, said on Tuesday they had agreed Merz would become chancellor...